Trump condoles US friend Helmut Kohls death

Washington, Jun 17 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has condoled the death of former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, the father of German reunification, and hailed him as a "friend and ally" of the US whose "legacy will live on".

"The longest serving Chancellor in modern German history, Chancellor Kohl was a friend and ally to the US as he led the Federal Republic of Germany through sixteen pivotal years," Trump said in a statement.

"He was not only the father of German reunification, but also an advocate for Europe and the transatlantic relationship. The world has benefited from his vision and efforts. His legacy will live on," he said.

Offering his deepest condolences to the people of Germany and to the family and loved ones of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Trump said: "We were saddened to learn of his passing today in Ludwigshafen, his boyhood home".

Kohl, Germanys ex-chancellor and architect of reunification in 1990, died yesterday aged 87. He is credited with bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In a separate statement, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said it is impossible to imagine a unified Germany without Helmut Kohls unshakable commitment to building bridges between the East and West.

"His name will forever be associated with the deepening of the European Union and the creation of the common European currency," she said.

"A child during the Second World War, he believed in the importance of international cooperation, which remains as critical today as it was during Helmut Kohls life," Lagarde said. PTI LKJ AJR ASK AJR

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

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